Golden State rout Houston for 3-0 lead in NBA Western Conference finals

Stephen Curry scored 40 points, and the Golden State Warriors made it look easy against Houston, beating the Rockets 115-80 on Saturday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

The Warriors won the first two games by just five points combined. There would be no such drama in this one, with Curry leading them to a 26-point advantage in the second quarter. Now the baby-faced MVP has Golden State just one victory away from their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1975. Game Four is tonight in Houston.

"We understand it's a special moment, it's just we're wrapped up in our day-to-day grind of preparing for games and going out and exerting all the effort we need to make this story happen," Curry said. "So it's kind of hard to remove yourself from those emotions."

Curry was unstoppable, making seven three-pointers to break the NBA record for most threes in the playoffs in a season with 64.

MVP runner-up James Harden finished with 17 points behind 10-of-11 free-throw shooting, but made just three of 16 shots as the Rockets dropped three straight for the first time all season. Dwight Howard, who played despite a knee injury suffered in Game One, had 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Houston rebounded from a 3-1 deficit in the conference semi-finals to beat the Clippers.